Stronger
by Lani Elliott
Summary: After a nasty break up, Clarke is left searching for a new apartment. Luckily, she sees a roommate ad at a small cafe. The Blake siblings are looking for a new roommate after their old one moved out to live with her girlfriend. Soon these three are living together and crazy times ensue. But what will Clarke do about the grump living one bedroom down the hall from her?


**Hello all! So this is a story that's been rattling around in my brain for awhile. It's sort of a mixture of the 100 and New Girl. I'm hoping you guys all enjoy it. I'll try to update as regularly as possible, but I don't know how often that will be what with college and all, so try to be patient. Enjoy!**

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Clarke slammed the door shut, twisting the lock before sliding to the floor. Her heart burned in her chest, and it felt like she was drowning. She dug her nails into her palms, using the pain to ground her.

"Clarke!" Finn's voice rang out from the other side of the door. The knob jiggled as he tested it.

"C'mon Clarke, let me in," he pleaded, "We can talk about this. "

Clarke shut her eyes, biting back a sob. She wouldn't let him hear her cry.

"Go away, Finn!" she shouted through the door. She could practically see the pleading look on Finn's face. His large puppy dog eyes had always worked on her in the past. Not today.

"Please, Clarke, I can explain!"

"Explain what?" Clarke spat angrily, "Explain how you've been screwing me while your girlfriend was on the other side of the country? I'd like to see how you plan on explaining that away."

"Raven is my past," Finn insisted, "_You_ are my future. I just hadn't figured out how to end it with her. I didn't want anyone to get hurt!" Clarke scoffed.

"Yeah? And how'd that work out for you?" she demanded.

"Clarke, please, just open the door," Finn's voice cracked. Clarke felt her resolve waiver. Then the image of Raven's heartbroken expression flashed before her eyes, and she felt the shame of unknowingly becoming 'the other woman' return full force.

"Just go," she whispered. "I need to be alone right now."

She heard Finn sigh in resignation.

"Just…promise me you'll still be here when I get back," he tried one more time. Clarke didn't answer.

"Clarke?" Finn begged, "Can you promise that?" Clarke swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Sure," she choked. There was a long pause as he debated on whether or not to believe her, and then his steps faded sound of the apartment door clicking shut echoed through the apartment. Clarke let out a shaky breath and slowly got to her feet, feeling numb. She'd lied to Finn. She had no intention of being here when he returned.

Hurriedly, Clark tore through their shared bedroom, grabbing her things as she went and tossing them into a suitcase without care of how they landed or what she grabbed. She could come back for the rest of her things later, but right now she needed to get the hell out of here.

Once she'd filled her suitcase as far as she could, Clarke dialed the number of the only person she could think of. She shifted in place as the phone rang, fidgeting with her sweater.

"Clarke?" her best friend's tired voice rang through the receiver, confused. Clarke glanced at the clock by her bedside. 1:15 am. She never called this late.

The dam broke, and Clarke began to sob as she clung to her cell phone like a life line. She heard rustling on the other line and Wells's frantic voice as he tried to figure out why she was crying.

"Clarke, talk to me, what's going on?" Wells demanded. Clarke tried to talk between heaving gasps.

"Finn," she sobbed, "Girlfriend…she showed up…apartment…five years!" Wells was silent as he tried to make sense of her broken fragments.

"Finn was cheating on you?" he asked finally, his voice dark. Clarke shook her head, closing her eyes as she struggled for breath.

"No!" she cried. "He was cheating on _her._" The sobs returned full force and she collapsed to her knees, hand at her chest as she fought to keep her heart from shattering on the floor.

"What do you need?" Wells asked, his calm voice a beacon for her to follow.

"Can you come get me?" she begged, "I can't stay here anymore." There was more rustling on the other line before Wells returned.

"I'm on my way," he assured her. Clarke thanked him and hung up. She dragged her suitcase to the front door and waited for him to arrive.

Wells took less than fifteen minutes before he was helping her place her things in the back of his SUV. As they drove away, Clarke stared blankly out the window, watching as her life with Finn disappeared from view.

Wells stayed silent on the drive to his house. When they arrived, his wife, Harper, stood waiting with a cup of cocoa and a sympathetic look as her husband brought in Clarke's bag and carried it to the guest room. Clarke accepts the cocoa with a sad smile, sitting at the breakfast bar to drink it. Harper waits patiently for her to talk.

"I'm sorry I woke you two," Clarke apologized, studying the mug in her hands. It's a cute mug, pale blue with the words 'everything is better with chocolate' written on the side. She smiles at the cartoon character beneath the words, holding a similar mug and beaming up at her.

"You're fine," Harper assured her, "Wells and I had just put the baby down for the night when you called. We hadn't even gone to sleep yet." Clarke smiled gratefully at her.

They sat in companionable silence until Wells came back downstairs.

"Alright," he said, "Tell us what happened." Clarke heaved a sigh, setting her mug down and turning to face the couple.

"Finn and I were having a quiet night in and there was a knock at the door," she explained. She looked down at her fingers, twisting the silver ring her mother had gotten her for her eighteenth birthday nervously.

"Her name's Raven," Clarke continued after a long stretch of silence, "and apparently they'd been dating for four years before Finn proposed. She's been gone for a year, working on some top-secret project for the government. She's an engineer. Apparently her job just ended and she decided to surprise Finn by dropping by." Clark blinked rapidly, trying to clear the stinging in her eyes. She took another sip of cocoa to avoid the twin looks of sympathy in her friends' eyes.

"Shit, Clarke," Wells murmured before pulling her into a hug. Clarke let herself relax into his familiar embrace the way she'd done when they were kids. Wells had always been good at hugs.

"How could he do this to me?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly. Wells had no answer. Instead, he squeezed her tighter.

They left her outside the guest room, Wells giving her one last hug before retiring to his room. Harper stayed behind, giving Clarke a sad smile.

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you like," she assured Clarke, "And tomorrow, if you're up for it, we'll go egg his car or something." Clarke gave a watery chuckle.

"Thanks Harper," she whispered. Her friend's smile widened and suddenly Clarke found herself being pulled into another hug.

"I'll see you in the morning," Harper told her before following her husband into the bedroom. Clarke shut the guestroom door behind her with a sigh.

She didn't get much sleep that night. She'd grown used to Finn's warmth beside her in bed, and now she didn't know how to fall asleep without it. Instead she buried her face in a pillow and cried for the man she thought she knew. Eventually she fell into an uneasy sleep filled with dark, accusing eyes and the sound of Finn's pleas.

Clarke woke with a head full of cotton balls and eyes that had crusted over in the night. She shuffled her way to the bathroom and splashed water in her face, then she followed the smell of coffee to where Harper and Wells were already waiting. Harper sat at the breakfast bar, a cup of coffee in front of her and a giggling baby in her lap. Wells was at the stove, cooking what looked like scrambled eggs. They both smiled as she walked in.

"Morning sleeping beauty," Harper greeted as the baby in her arms squirmed.

"Car!" the child squealed, catching sight of Clarke. Clarke felt a smile creep onto her face as she kissed her favorite niece on the cheek.

"Morning Jemma," she cooed before moving toward the coffee pot to pour herself a cup.

"How'd you sleep?" Wells asked. Clarke shrugged.

"Okay," she answered simply, taking a sip of the golden nectar in her mug. She closed her eyes and moaned at the taste.

"This coffee is divine," she hummed, taking another sip. Harper beamed.

"I'm glad you like it," she said as she began to bounce her daughter in her lap. Jemma laughed in delight at this new motion, clapping her chubby hands together. Clarke's smile widened.

"She's gotten so big," she remarked, looking at the eighteen-month-old. Jemma was the spitting image of her father, with the same dark skin that reminded Clarke of smooth coffee and a gorgeous head of curls that bounced as she moved. The only hint of Harper in the baby's face were the eyes the color of springtime that watched Clarke with curious delight.

"Tell me about it," Harper moaned, "My arms are aching from carrying her around everywhere. I can't wait till she starts walking. The doctor says it could be any day now." Clarke waved at Jemma, taking another sip of her coffee.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Wells asked as he set two plates of scrambled eggs in front of Clarke and his wife before sitting down with his own plate. Clark shrugged.

"I guess I should start looking for a new place to live," she said, frowning slightly at the prospect of apartment hunting.

"There's no rush," Wells told her, "You're welcome to stay as long as you want."

"Yeah," Harper agreed, settling Jemma into her highchair, "We've barely seen you these past few months. It'll be nice to catch up." Clarke nodded, her stomach twisting as she thought about the reason why she hadn't been around much the past few months.

"Well, I should probably still check the listings online," she commented. Harper shook her head.

"No way," her friend insisted. "You are not spending the entire day curled up on our couch looking through apartments online. We are going to have a girls day, and you are going to like it." Clarke's eyebrows raised.

"Okay…" she agreed hesitantly, "what do you have in mind?" Harper grinned.

"What every woman needs after a break-up," her friend declared, "shopping."

Later that day, Clarke's feet ached from walking up and down the streets of New York. They'd gone to Macy's first, and then to a little boutique on 22nd street in Chelsea. After that, Harper had insisted they visit a salon where Clarke could "get a whole new look" as she'd put it. Clarke, to her credit, had agreed to let the stylist cut a full ten inches off of her hair, bringing her waist-length golden curls to just past her shoulder-blades. She'd put her foot down when Harper suggested coloring it, though.

They were finally taking a break, sitting down in a small café that advertised the best churros in the city. As they sat drinking their coffee, the waitress brought out a plate of perfectly fried deliciousness accompanied by a bowl of melted chocolate. Both women moaned as they bit into what were hands-down the best churros Clarke had tasted this side of the Atlantic.

"This has been fun," Clarke admitted grudgingly. Harper beamed.

"I told you!" her friend gloated, "Shopping and churros are part of the healing process." Clarke rolled her eyes. As she did, she caught sight of something that piqued her interest. Quickly, Clarke snatched the flyer off the wall, examining it carefully. It read

_**Roommate Wanted**_

_**Looking for a roommate to share a three-bedroom, one bath apartment in Chelsea.**_

_**Our roommate moved out last month to go live with her girlfriend. We're looking for someone neat who can pay the rent on time. You'll get two kickass roommates and a couple of loveable but slightly crazy neighbors. If interested, Please call the number below.**_

_**212-555-555**_

"Look at this!" she announced, pointing it out to Harper, who examined the picture critically.

"Looks legit," her friend noted, "You should call the number and set up a time to meet." Clarke nodded. Quickly she drew out her phone and dialed the number given. It rang twice before a woman answered.

"Hello?" the woman on the other end sounded young, and Clarke vaguely hoped she wasn't about to sign up to live with a bunch of college students. Been there, done that.

"Yes, hi, my name is Clarke Griffin and I was calling about the add you posted for the apartment," Clarke announced in her best 'I am an adult' voice, "Is it still open?"

"Oh my god, yes!" the woman who was potentially a college kid exclaimed, "Yes, um give me just a moment, okay?" there was a noise on the end and then the woman's voice calling for someone else.

"Bell!" the muffled voice yelled, "It's someone calling about the apartment!" There was the sound of voices murmuring in the background before the woman came back on.

"Sorry about that," she apologized. "Can you come in for an interview?"

"Sure," Clarke agreed quickly, motioning for Harper to hand her a pen, "When would be a good time for us to meet?"

"Let me check," the woman said before turning back to the other person, Bell, to ask about times. Clarke heard more muffled discussion before the woman returned.

"Is this Tuesday at four an okay time for you?" she asked. Clarke thought through her schedule. She had a few meetings Tuesday morning, but nothing after 12.

"Tuesday at four is perfect," Clarke answered finally. The woman on the other end breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wonderful," she said, "We'll see you then. Let me give you the address." Clarke quickly scribbled the address down on a napkin before giving Harper a thumbs up.

"Thanks so much," Clarke said, "And what was your name again?"

"Oh, sorry!" the woman apologized quickly, "I'm Octavia. Octavia Blake."

"Okay, see you on Tuesday," Clarke smiled.

"See you then!" Octavia chirped. The line clicked off and Clarke placed her phone back into her purse. She had churros and a potential place to live. Things were looking up.

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**Okay so that was fun! I hope you enjoyed it. We'll meet Bellamy and Octavia in the next chapter. I'm super excited because the Blake siblings are my favorite siblings ever and I love writing them. **

**I ate at this little churro place in the East Village the last time I visited NYC and it was absolute heaven, so I thought I'd include it in here because what better way to get over a broken heart than with fried dough that's been dipped in chocolate? Am I right? **

**Anyway I'm going to try and update this story as often as possible, but please feel free to let me know what you think. Also, if you enjoy my writing, you might want to check out the book I wrote at www dot dot com/creation?hid=1963268. Farewell for now dear readers! **

**xoxo**

**Lani**

**P.S. Reviews are lovely. ;)**


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